When Cat and Mouse Isn't Enough
by Guardian of Ice
Summary: Zim has become tired of the usual skirmishes between Dib and himself. But now, Zim has a new plan - to take from Dib what ( or even who ) he loves most. Rated for later chapters.


When Cat and Mouse Isn't Enough  
  
Chapter One   
  
This is a little fic I started thinking about a few weeks ago. The storyline has been cooking in my mind for a while. Be warned, this is a ways off from my usual Zim comedy streaks. Please pardon my typos.  
  
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Zim stared wide-eyed at the clock, which for some reason was crooked today. The time read 2:58, and his high skool history teacher was still droning on. This class was fifty-one minutes of nothing BUT Ms. Bitters' droning, an almost uncanny repeat of his junior high years. 'Sure', he thought, there was always the fact that he only had her for that mind-numbing fifty-one minutes, and six other drones of educators for the six other periods. But that didn't hinder the simple fact that his sworn enemy was in each of those seven classes. The enemy that had plagued him for so long, had followed his every move and had tormented him and hindered his mission to conquer this pathetic dirtball.  
  
It had been almost six years since Zim had first landed on that cloudless evening, and since, he and that particular human had duked it out in almost every way possible. It was a shock that both were still alive, with all limbs intact (though some had suffered a break or two).   
  
Zim had, since becoming used to the Earth's atmosphere and gravity, grown somewhat, upgrading his disguise to a wig with longer and less processed-looking hair; and a full-black Invader's outfit that he was proud to say he'd designed on his own.  
  
But his enemy had grown as well, in both mind and body. He had grown tall, even taller than Zim himself, now having a reason to 'look down' upon him. His hair had stayed mostly the same, that jet-black array of unruly spikes and the particularly wild one that stood up tall above his head in a scythe. Zim had always had the urge to rip it out of the earthling's head, watch him write in pain..  
  
2:59, now. Glancing over, Zim studied his mortal enemy, who was currently slumped over his desk, eyes closed, a thin line of drool running from his parted lips to his arm. Finding himself a little shocked at the downlet of his enemy's defenses, Zim raised a brow in curiosity. Overhead, the nerve-grating bell that signaled the end of the day sounded, and as Zim watched, Dib started, toppling over and out of his desk.  
  
"Heh.. Pitiful wormbaby." Grinning cockily to himself, Zim rose and began that stiff-legged strut from the classroom, pointing his nose in the air as he passed Dib. Glaring knives and daggers at the green-skinned nuisance, Dib simply retaliated by sticking out one foot, finding himself utterly pleased as Zim's face made contact with the floor.  
  
Waiting until the rest of the students had filed out of the classroom and into the noisy hall, Zim glowered at Dib, who returned the icy stare with twice as much venom. Using the desk to regain his balance, Dib rose, smirking down at Zim. Wordlessly, he turned and exited the classroom, trenchcoat flapping behind him.  
  
Murmuring insults in his native language, Zim got to his feet and dusted himself off. That human had embarassed him for the very last time. He couldn't take any more of this ridiculous game! 'Cat and mouse has grown old,' thought Zim to himself, adjusting his rumpled clothing and shoving his way into the wall-to-wall mass of his blathering schoolmates.   
  
'If I'm to defeat the pitiful Dib-human, I must more closely study his behaviours.' Nodding to himself as he shoved the front door open, Zim marched out as regally as he could, knowing Dib would be watching from his usual post next to the fountain.  
  
Dib folded his arms, trying to look as nonchalant as possible as Zim paraded down the stairs, down the sidewalk, and finally around the corner and out of sight. Dammit, he was tired of that..alien..outwitting him! It had turned into a redundant little game between the two, though neither of it wished for it to be so. Zim tried to destroy mankind, Dib foiled his plans. It was the same thing every time, even if the plans changed slightly.  
  
Recalling one plan in particular that involved a chicken, a fire truck, and some year-old milk, Dib shook his head. Lately, his enemy's plans had become.. well... lame. It was somewhat pathetic, the decrease in vigor he'd seen in Zim lately. His random rants in both the lunchroom and at his onw base had gone down a notch in their seriousness and strength, and his attempts to destroy humankind and the like had become few and far between.  
  
Occasionally, though, Zim would come up with a brilliant mastermind scheme that would keep Dib on his toes, and the two's hatred for one another going full swing. Those were the kind of battles Dib lived for, what kept him going in life.   
  
His father came home less and less, and his once frequent calls dwindled to once or twice every week; and his frightening entity of a sister spent time with hew most recent clique. The nights at the Membrane household were often spent alone for Dib, staring at the ceiling and wondering how long he could stand to go on with his mask of indifference at skool and his utmost need to save those he hated when he fought with Zim.   
  
His social status hadn't improved any, but he didn't really seem to care. When he was at skool, he took the desk further from everyone, preferably the ones that made for a good window seat. It took some work, ignoring the whispers and extended glances that he frequently received, but once he'd had time to practice little techniques, he was like a brick wall to them.  
  
Almost.  
  
The routine he called life had beaten him down enough that he had mostly given up on anything he had ever considered 'fun', except for his beloved paranormal studies. It was doubtful anyone would ever see the last of that side of Dib Membrane, but as for the outspoken, extroverted boy, he was dead and forgotten.  
  
Dib woke up, went to school, came home, studied, tried to prove to himself he wasn't insane, and slept. This was his schedule, leave for weekends when he had more time to study his obsession, and of course to spy on Zim. But, for some reason, it just didn't feel like enough anymore.  
  
Something was missing from his character, and nobody could quite place it. This simple fact clawed at Dib's insides and tore at his mind, a nagging voice that would never let him rest. Try as he might, he could never really figure out what aspect of his life he was overlooking, and this occasionally would drive him into bouts of depression.  
  
Of course, nobody would ever see this side of him. He forbid it; and kept that broken piece of his being locked deep within.  
  
Rising slowly from the cold stone ledge of the bubbling fountain, Dib glanced around to make sure nobody was staring at him again before turning for the gates to the skool. Hands found their way into his pockets, and stayed there, his gaze lowering to the ground in deep thought.  
  
He continued this way for a good ten paces or so, before he ran almost face first into someone, stumbling and falling onto his back unceremoniously. Wincing at the grand scrape he'd given his hands, he sat up and prepared to chew out whomever had derailed his train of thought.  
  
Busily trying to gather her scattered papers was a lean, dazed-looking brunette girl, fully ignoring him and stuffing all the retreived material into an uncovered textbook. Glancing at Dib only once or twice, each time looking rather nervous and apologetic, she pushed herself to her feet.   
  
Dib rose as well, studying the disheveled-looking girl closely. She was dressed in almost all black, like he was, leave for the excessively baggy midnight blue shirt that clung to her lithe frame.  
  
"Are you okay? You really ought to watch where you're going."   
  
Dib knew that was a bad thing to say on his part, he himself having been in La-La Land and ignoring his surroundings.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry."  
  
Without any further word, the girl turned, eyes downcast, and quickly strode off, turning the corner before Dib could put in another word.  
  
Trying to put her face to a name, Dib stared after her as his mind searched itself for who she was.  
  
"Oh, so THAT's the new girl.."   
  
Sighing and rolling his eyes, Dib recalled the previous week, a Tuesday, when the girl had first been introduced in Ms. Bitters' class. Some of the others had made a grand display of catcalls, especially a group of jocks led by none other than the notorious Torque Smackey.  
  
That guy had certainly grown up to be the biggest jerkoff in the school, without any contest. His little horde of followers, or minions, as Dib liked to call them, consisted of The Letter M, the resident pothead; Brian, the group supplier of alcohol, courtesy of his older brother; Tae, the only one rumored to be more insane than Dib; and Zita, Torque's newest female playtoy.  
  
These four sat in the back, for the sole purpose of keeping their snide and hurtful comments from the ears of Ms. Bitters, or whatever teacher they were currently plaguing with their presence.  
  
On this particular day, though, Torque had been rather bold in making some crude statements about the girl, right away, no less. Most times he and his band of monkeys would catch the new kids after school and torment them into a stupor, assuming the pair of infamous bullies Rob and Chunk hadn't gotten to them first.  
  
Ever since, the girl had seemed entirely and painfully miserable.   
  
Dib didn't blame her in the least.  
  
After all, these were some of the students that even the teachers feared. Ms. Bitters feared no one, of course, but for these select students, she saved her wrath for less rebellious beings.  
  
Wondering if he should try and talk to her the following day, Dib shrugged to no one in particular and turned to head for home.  
  
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"Gir! GIR! Bring me my snacks!"  
  
Zim stared blankly at his computer screen, doing what he did most school nights.   
  
Plotting.   
  
He needed a new plan to be rid of the Dib-monkey, something that would put him out of his misery once and for all.  
  
That was what he always needed, wasn't it?  
  
But, no, nothing he had ever done was remotely good enough, clever enough, or foolproof enough to defeat the wily Dib. Damn that wormbaby, and his scary sister, too. But oh yes, he'd outwit Dib, and then rule all of the pitiful beings that remained.  
  
He'd tried everything he could think of. Murder, mass homicide, even chickens! But no, Dib was too good to be outdone with any of these petty techniques. It wasn't fair, really. A mighty Irken soldier like himself being matched with so low class of a creature was an insult to his entire race. In fact, it made his blood boil to just think of that know-it-all human, with his paranormal whatzits and his condescending attitude.  
  
"MAASSTTTERR! I gotch'u some'o dem yummies!"  
  
Oh, grand. He'd almost forgotten he'd asked Gir to bring him food. The high pitched voice of his malfunctioning robot was not by any means what he needed right then.  
  
Rubbing at his temples, Zim turned to the hyperactive Gir, who was currently decked out in his doggie disguise. Tongue sticking out of the side of a wide, seemingly perpetual grin, Gir held out a bag of chips from the planet Irk.  
  
Sighing deeply, Zim plucked the bag from Gir's grimy hands and set it on an unoccupied space next to the oversized keyboard for the main computer. Pondering on contacting his beloved Tallest, Zim shook his head in response to his own question.  
  
He was still, however, unaware of the fact that his entire mission was a fluke, and that his leaders secretly hated him. This was probably for the better, as Zim's normally arrogant and cruel demeanor had deflated as of late. And again, the blame all was sent to Dib, because was it not HE who had put the great Zim under such mental diress that he had become, as humans would say, depressed?  
  
The tiresome game of cat and mouse would stop now, yes. It was time for a new game, but what KIND? What would cause the Dib-beast the most pain, bring him to his knees before the might of the Irken race? Would there ever be a plan so magnificent, so flawless that he could draw out a full submission from his worst enemy? How could it be so hard to defeat a single being?!  
  
Clenching his fists intside his gloves, Zim glowered at his screen as though it were the face of Dib.  
  
"I will find your weakness, Dib-human. Even if it means taking away anything and everything you hold dear.."  
  
Grinning a little to himself at his own streak of brilliance, he added to himself for good measure, "And then, I will crush you like the pathetic insect you really are."  
  
The sound of psychotic laughter overtook the loud humming of the unnumbered machines that made up Zim's base.  
  
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It's only the start, but, I need to know what people think so far. If you read it, please, please post a review. It won't hurt you. 


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